Chenford Story

32

Lucy's POV

Pulling up to the other side of the road to Tims house I felt a mixture of emotions. That had been happening basically the entire last month. Sadness, relief, happiness.
Everything was just swirling around in my mind.

Juniper looked up at me and smiled. This would be the last time we would see each other, at least for a few years. Maybe when she went over to Angela and Wesley's I could visit. That wouldn't be for a while.

I knocked on the door and set down the baby carrier, giving Juniper one last kiss before walking away.

Tim's POV

"One second!"
Who was at my door this late at night?
I opened the door. 
A baby?

I looked around, expecting some sort of adult. Someone?
No one?
Who the hell was this baby?!

I looked at the baby. A note?
(Note in chapter 31)
I looked at the baby.
I-i had a daughter..........
I-i had a daughter with Lucy...........
Oh god.....
What the hell?!?!

I took the baby inside. Juniper. Juniper Bradford. My daughter.
What the fuck do I do now?
Call someone?
Who?
Angela?
Yeah.
Angela was a good person to call.
I hit call.

"Ange? I need help. I have a daughter?!"
"What? I'm coming to your house now"
Angela hung up.

Lucy's POV

I sat in my car across the road. Breathing a sigh of relief. Juniper was inside, she was safe. She was with Tim.

I transferred ownership of the bank account to Tim, removing myself.

Angela's car showed up a few minutes later, she got out and walked into Tim's house. I drove away in tears.

I was never going to see my daughter again.

Angela's POV

I was a detective. I could lie to Tim and make him believe it. Maybe not as well as Lucy could being a UC but still. Tim couldn't know I knew about the baby, and about Lucy in general. I needed to remain oblivious.

I knocked on the door and walked in, realising it was open.
Tim was sat on his sofa, staring into space while rocking his daughter back and forth.
"I-im a dad now...."
Tim just looked down at Juniper and then over to me. There were a few tears in his eyes I wasn't sure if they were happy or sad.
"What do I do?"
I just sat next to him.
"I-i don't know, I guess you have to raise Ju- what's her name?"
That was overly close. If Tim knew I was talking to Lucy.....

"What if this is why she left? Because she was pregnant?"
Tim is completely breaking down in tears and puts Juniper into her basinet.
"It's ok Tim, I'm sure this isn't why Lucy left"
Tim just looks at me so distraught.
"Anyway, yeah we were dating for a few months before she left...."
Old me would have been overjoyed to hear that. Now knowing that Lucy was never coming back, it broke my heart.
"I'm so sorry Tim. It must have been hard, her leaving"
"H-her name is Juniper, Juniper Sophia Bradford. Lucy named her, gave her my last name. She's a month old."
I obviously pretended this was all new information to me. Just as I was about to reply, Tim got a notification on his phone.
'you have been given access to account number ********** balance £20,000'
Tim looked at his phone, then at juniper, then at me.
"20k, I'm assuming it's from Lucy, to help me look after Juniper. I-i just rather she was here, you know? If she had just told me...."

Juniper looked over to me and smiled. She had just started recognising people.
I smiled back and went to the bathroom to text Lucy.
'you ok Luce?'
'im ok. It's what's best, for all of us.'
'he seems happy, still confused why you left. But happy enough. He misses you'
'that's good. I love him so much. Please distract him from missing me. Look after them for me Angela. I won't see you for a while. I might move. Who knows. I'll be around somewhere.'
'i will Lucy. I promise. See you sometime'
Tim knocked on the door and I quickly turned my phone off before starting the tap.
"One sec Tim I'm almost finished"
"That's fine just checking you're ok, you've been there ten minutes."
I finished up and walked out. Lucy was ok. Tim was ok. Juniper was happy. It would all be- Juniper started crying.

I spent all eavning at Tim's house, teaching him how to change nappies and burp a baby along with setting up a crib and making trips to and from the storage locker.
I wasn't sure if or when I would see Lucy again. I needed to keep my promises. I would distract Tim and look after them.
Wesley was at home with Jack, I wouldn't be needed for work tomorrow and Tim took paternity leave so he didn't have to go into work either.

I would be there a few days, a week maybe.
I wasn't really sure. I would take care of Tim and Juniper for Lucy. I knew how hard this was for her. I couldn't imagine having to give up Jack.

Lucy's POV

I drove a few miles away, out of LA. It was fine. Everything was fine. I was completely and utterly fine. Yes. Yeah. Definitely fine.
100% fine.

I went to the cliff where I tried to kill myself. I wasn't going to, I had to stay alive, for Juniper. I just sat, a few metres from the edge of the cliff, and looked at the stars.

The tears started falling after a few minutes. I got out my phone and started playing the recordings of Juniper. Every cry, laugh, smile. That was all I had. Forever.

I unblocked Tim, a moment of weakness against my adamance that I would never contact him again. I didn't type anything, not a text, call, nothing. I just unblocked him, wiping my tears off the phone screen.

I started walking. It must have been about 1am by the time I got back to the car. I sat down, looking at my tear stricken face and bloodshot eyes staring back at me.

I laughed at my appearance. I looked awful. My head was pounding from running into trees. I hadn't taken a torch to see anything so i was guiding myself in the starlight.
That wasn't such a good idea. I had tripped over my own feet and tree roots many times and run into trees the same amount.

I sat in the car for a minute before pulling out of the parking space and getting in the road, turning on the satnav. I wasnt sure I wanted to go back to Vancouver. Sure I had a job, apartment, a life in most aspects, but I didn't have anything making that life worth living other than Tamara.

Tamara was doing a uni course online so she didn't really care where we moved. I wasn't sure either. I had enough to cover a few months rent. The rest was given to Tim for Juniper. I just wanted to forget how close we were to having everything.

I was just mad, at how close we were to being ok, to having a family together.

I was about three hours into driving when my phone rang.
I picked up automatically.
"Luce?!"
Shit. Shit. I forgot I unblocked him.
I moved my hand over the end call button but hesitated.
"Are you ok Lucy?"
I pulled my hand back and kept driving.
"Fine. Hi Tim."
I heard sobbing over the phone. This was the first time either of us had spoken to the other directly in 10 months.

"So..... I have a daughter"
"Yep" I kept my responses short.
"Is that why you left?"
"No"
"Why did you leave then?"
"Can't say"
"Can't say or won't say?"
"Can't"
I felt the silence between us as Tim processed what I had said.
"Are you hurt or going to be?"
"Unsure"
"Lucy are you going to hurt yourself? If you are I want to help. Just come home... Please Luce"
I was silent. I knew that anything I could say would hurt him more than silence. That I would most likely hurt myself, that I would never come back.
"Luce? Please, I can't do this without you"
I heard Tim begging. I stayed silent. Nothing I could say would soften the blow that me leaving would leave.

"I'm sorry Tim. I love you"
I hung up. Not waiting for a reply.